Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Wednesday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Strong warm sunshine
High UV levels, feeling very warm when ascending, beware of dehydration and sunburn.
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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Strong warm sunshine
High UV levels, feeling very warm when ascending, beware of dehydration and sunburn.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 8th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Damp with blanket low cloud in W-NW Scotland, gusty locally. Highest Scottish tops may emerge above the cloud. Drizzle on western slopes easing, cloud thinning and breaking for central and southwest Scotland, sunnier and warmer overall in east. Very warm to hot sunshine for England & Wales.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Gusty early in day. Cloud in west clears, warm sun.
How windy? (On the Munros)
West to southwesterly 15 to 20mph, occasional 25mph, or local 30mph around high tops for a few hours from dawn, gusty downslope particularly to the east of Cairngorms at first.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but some noticeable gustiness in places not just on high tops, mainly early in the morning.
How Wet?
Rain unlikely
Rare fine drizzle mainly west of A9 if in early low cloud on windward slopes.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied banks clearing many hills, highest tops at times above cloud
Banks of cloud around mid-slopes in morning, most extensive near/west of the A9, here lingering for several hours. Patches may remain into afternoon near Ben Alder, slowly dispersing; largely clearing elsewhere. High tops above 1100m may at least start above cloud, some patches drift higher before clearing.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% rising to 80% (some tops above cloud in morning).
Sunshine and air clarity?
Varied cloud and sun in morning, some misty slopes; then increasingly sunny with fair-weather cloud; high UV, beware sunburn. Visibility good or increasingly very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12C rising to 16C afternoon, locally 18C easternmost hills. (Eastern glens rising toward 25C afternoon).
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 9th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15 to 25mph, gusts over 30mph some higher slopes early in day, tending to drop lighter with time.
Effect of the wind on you?
Feeling blustery early in the day around some higher slopes mainly higher Cairngorms, otherwise fairly small.
How Wet?
No rain expected
Cloud on the hills?
Varied patches, largely clearing
Patchy cloud around some slopes early in day, most persistent Drumochter area. Highest tops likely above cloud. May drift higher up onto some tops for a few hours, tending to disperse or lift above most summits into afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%, but 50% Drumochter west.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine and broken cloud. Some patchy early mist, otherwise visibility very good out of cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12C rising to 16 to 18C afternoon, warmest east and northeast areas. Feeling like 4C if exposed to stronger breeze in morning.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 10th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15mph early in day, but soon below 10mph, variable direction.
Effect of the wind on you?
Negligible.
How Wet?
Risk of a thunderstorm later
Spots of rain from high cloud from time to time, but most of the day amounting to little. Later in day, a risk of odd bursts of rain forming almost anywhere, chance of an isolated thundery downpour.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little, may form later north
Rare patchy cloud mainly toward west. If a late shower occurs, cloud patches forming at various levels. Risk extensive cloud filling in over northern areas by evening.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Some weak sun through a veil of high cloud, which may thicken across the sky. Visibility mostly very good, some early mist, then misty later if rain occurs.
How Cold? (at 900m)
14C, possibly rising to 18C southern areas, but later may drop several degrees in the north. (Glens reaching 25C)
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Increasingly warm for Scotland, hot for England and Wales this week. Southwesterly winds easing for much of Scotland but remnants of fronts bring further low cloud and drizzle to the west late this week. Locally a chance of thundery downpours in eastern Highlands later Friday, some of which may linger into Saturday but likely fading. A generally fine summertime outlook through the weekend and well into next week as high pressure expands northwards to broadly reside across Britain. Warm but generally pleasant summer temperatures next week. Sunshine and fair-weather cloud, many hills often clear. Easterly breezes for England and Wales.